Vinyl Records

[strat1117]

Before you dismiss me as a barbarian, I'll preface this by saying I'm a huge fan of vinyl (and analog over digital in general). I had a faithfull Linn Sondek turntable and an unbelievable Sutherland phono stage, which was as good as anything I've heard. Having said that, I prefer digital.

Analog can be as good as digital, but every single time you listen to it it's not as good as it was the time before. For better or worse, digital solves the problem of archiving. And although the first digital releases were poor, at best, modern audiophile recordings are nothing short of amazing. If you haven't experienced some of the better releases from companies such as Mobile Fidelity, Reference Recordings (perhaprs the best), Telarc, et al, you're missing something. If you listen to, say, Dorian's scary version of Mussorgsky's Pictures, (organ transcription by Jean Guillou), you'll hear a dynamic range and power that you may not have thought possible.

I applaud all of those who keep the vinyl flame aglow, but I'm just not buying any more.

I'd hate for this to digress into a typical audio forum squabble, so I will just put in that, IMHO, and IMS (In My System), the best analog is better than the best digital. It's more work to get there, but the result is worth it (to me). That doesn't mean that digital hasn't come a long way in the last 25 years, it has, and I do listen to cd's regularly, but vinyl playback has also improved, and modern lps can be stunning. If you exercise proper record care and hygiene (wet cleaning, proper storage, etc.), it will be a lifetime before a record played on a high quality turntable deteriorates to the point where it is missing as much information as was left out of the cd in the first place.

Enjoy!

 

[adonnellyr]

Alright, so this has somewhat digressed into a debate between analog and digital. We all have our opinions on which sounds better, but there are some other reasons I prefer vinyl. If you listen to "good" music, chances are you enjoy bands who don't try to write hit singles and then pad the album with crappy songs hoping to get sales based on the singles. You probably listen to bands who create a whole work of art in the form of an album, one that is meant to be listened through start to finish. Vinyl forces one to listen to the album in its entirety, because searching for singles is just plain annoying. Since I started collecting records, my musical knowledge has increased immensely and I can comment on entire albums, including songs that are lesser known; I have vinyl to thank for this.

Then there is the fact that the record must be flipped halfway through. Some people might look at this as an annoyance, but I find it makes the activity of listen to an album more involved. It makes sure my attention is on the record, and if it starts to drift, once side one finishes my attention is guaranteed to be brought back for the flip. There's also something really nice about being able to stare directly at the needle skimming over the vinyl as the music plays--I'm sure this may just be me, but somehow I feel closer to the music. Oh, and did I mention that album artwork looks way better on a nice big LP when compared to a little plastic CD case...

(Side note: The purchase of All Things Must Pass is a great first record. I guess technically it's three LPs in one, so even better!)

 

[gaseousclay]

I love the vinyl. Always keep my eyes open. Yard sales, thrift shops, junk shops, flea markets. It's everywhere and much of it is in A+ condition. Lowering the diamond into the groove is a satisfaction that can't be had from digital.

the big neighborhood yard sale is coming up in May and i'm thinking of unloading a bunch of stuff. I know most people expect bargains at yard sales so what's a fair price to charge for lp's? I figure most of my stuff could fetch a couple of bucks each at least.....maybe less for the undesireables and I have plenty of expensive collectables. I don't want to sell stuff cheap just because. I know there are scavengers out there who specifically target yard sales/estate sales so they can buy stuff cheap and sell it at a profit elsewhere (like ebay).

 

[Straight Arrow]

the big neighborhood yard sale is coming up in May and i'm thinking of unloading a bunch of stuff. I know most people expect bargains at yard sales so what's a fair price to charge for lp's?

Most of what I see at yard sales goes from 25 cents to two bucks. It's hard to find what you are looking for at yard sales. I would think that most of the more serious collectors go to thrift stores and flea markets. That's where I make my best discoveries. Prices there range from 50 cents to three or four bucks.

 

[gaseousclay]

Most of what I see at yard sales goes from 25 cents to two bucks. It's hard to find what you are looking for at yard sales. I would think that most of the more serious collectors go to thrift stores and flea markets. That's where I make my best discoveries. Prices there range from 50 cents to three or four bucks.

that's why i'm having a hard time figuring out how to price my stuff. I'm trying to reach a good middleground with pricing. if it's something that may not sell then charge 25-50 cents for it. if it's something by a well known artist then charge $2-4. I know if I were to try and unload my vinyl at a record store i'd get royally screwed. I'm apprehensive about putting collectibles out cuz I don't think anyone would want to pay between $50-100 for some of my stuff. it's either save those for ebay or maybe try craigslist.

 

[syzygy]

I am a huge audio nut and have to jump in. Digital will never be as good as Analogue simply for the reason that the amount of information on a piece of vinyl is much greater than can fit on the current CD format. They keep trying to come up with solutions for this such as Super Audio CD, HiDef CD - if it was perfect they wouldn't bother trying to improve it. CDs were never meant to replace Vinyl but to be a convenience alternative and we've all bought into it - just like we've all bought into the marketing of the latest and greatest multi-blade razor. Digital can sound wonderful but you really have to spend some money to get anywhere near as good as vinyl. Most people have listened to records on crappy tables and love the nostalgia of crackle and pops but on a good table this stuff melts away. If you compare a $1000 turntable to a $1000 CD player the table will kill it every time. I would argue that you have to spend double to triple on a CD player to compare to that same table but then you could spend that amount on an even better table that no digital source could ever come close to. Here is why vinyl is so incredibly superior - most instruments are based on vibration (strings, skins, diaphrams, brass, etc). Digital information is binary and the turntable is based on vibration - so a turntable is really an instrument for playing music. It sounds real, it sounds natural and is the reason virtually ALL serious music lovers and audiophiles still consider vinyl the ultimate medium. Go into a local record shop - everything is being pressed on brand new vinyl again - people are going back to the superior formats (shaving included).

 

[Snappy Lunch]

I am in the middle of catalogging my Vinyl collection. 350+ so it will take a while. What is your Rare disc? Your favorite?
Rare= The Beatles Yesterday......and Today pasteover cover
Favorite= Tough call, I have 6 by Pete Fountain love them all. also like my 2 by Charlie Spivak.

 

[Kevan]

I still have about 200 LPs mostly on good condition that I listen to now and then. New stuff I buy on CD which is itself becoming obsolete. Good CD sounds almost as good as great vinyl now IMO. This was not the case 20 years ago when the best vinyl won hands down on sound quality.

I saw on "How it's Made" that brand-new vinyl records have superior sound quality to even mp3's. I have no idea how that's even possible (sounds improbable to me) but there you go.

 

[SiBurning]

if you walk into a used record store, you can walk out with a huge pile of records for $50 to $100, instead of just half a dozen or so CD's.



Enjoy!

Maybe it's just me, but when I walk into a used record store I walk out with fewer LPs than CDs for the money. Must be the crazy prices on imported Zappa and Tull concert bootlegs.

 

[WastedResources]

Some people really can't hear the difference.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Another vinyl believer and audiophile here!

I spin discs on a J.A. Michell Orbe, SME IV, Denon DL-103, Cinemag step-up transformers, and a Don Garber Fi Yph phono stage. It gives me a huge amount of pleasure and it was well worth the investment.

That goes into one of two setups. First, a Moth Si2A3 into the Sennheiser HD-800 or the AKG K-1000. The speaker rig is a Conrad-Johnson MV52 powering Quad ESL-63 speakers. No matter the configuration, it's audio bliss.

I've got a few hundred LPs and am always looking for more. Hunting used vinyl is a passion.

Yes, I'm aware that vinyl slightly degrades with each listen, but it sounds so good that I don't mind. I don't regularly play the rare vinyl, either.

That being said, I'm also a bit of a nut when it comes to SACD. I've amassed a few hundred of those over the years and continue to buy more. Shame the format is such a niche - it rivals vinyl in sound quality.

 

[Ceri]

I saw on "How it's Made" that brand-new vinyl records have superior sound quality to even mp3's. I have no idea how that's even possible (sounds improbable to me) but there you go.

Well, new LPs - you can still but many new releases on vinyl - are pressed on much heavier, better quality vinyl than was true in the late-seventies and eighties. I defy anyone to casually wobble a new LP

I will always take the vinyl copy, if available, on newly released albums but I cherish my old albums, even though many are far from pristine. When I listen to my copy of 'Heaven and Hell' bought the day it was released in 1980, there's a small scratch on 'Neon Knights' which got there through my eagerness to play it when I got home.

RIP RJD

 

[TstebinsB]

Most of my music has been ripped from vinyls to 24-bit / 96kHz FLAC and stored on secured hard drives. That's especially the norm for my 500+ jazz and 600+ rock albums.

 

[Sue]

Is there a website that suggests values? I have a large stack that belonged to my dad. They appear brand new, some still have the cello wrap. I don't even own a turntable.
Sue

 

[gaseousclay]

Is there a website that suggests values? I have a large stack that belonged to my dad. They appear brand new, some still have the cello wrap. I don't even own a turntable.
Sue

http://www.popsike.com

this site should give you a general idea of what vinyl sells for on ebay.

 

[Legion]

I have a huge and extremely crazy record collection. Whenever I am in a thrift store and I see anything that looks remotely interesting I buy it. They usually only cost a couple of bucks and it lets me listen to lots of albums I might never have if I had had to pay CD or Itunes prices.

It means that my record collection is probably the most eclectic one in the world and from here the two record covers I can see are Miles Davis and The Muppets. That pretty much sums my collection up.

Today I bought Jeff Beck, Simon and Garfunkle, Garry Numan and Santana (Score )